Exuma

July 16, 2013

The concept

The Exuma is an electric luxury pontoon that can travel at moderate speed, it’s not designed to go fast or pull skiers. Propulsion comes from a small ‘Azipod‘ fixed under the platform which can rotate 360 degrees. This electric motor is powered by 24 marine batteries concealed in sealed boxes located in each float.

The background

When I was young, I spent my summers on Lake Brompton near Valcourt. This lake is about 7 miles long and we never got tired of taking boat rides on it. One of the ‘visions’ driving the design the of Exuma concept is taking slow rides around the lake with friends on hot summer days and stopping sometimes for a swim.

How it works

One cool feature of the Exuma is that it can drive itself. The onboard computer maintains a safe distance from the shore and the boat’s depth in real time. If the Exuma encounters obstacles, it will slow down and avoid them. It can take voice commands so you can stop it anytime. This allows the captain to relax and enjoy the cruise with his guests while the boat is driving around the lake.

The empty space inside each float is used as ballast tanks and it can be filled with water using electric pumps. The captain can thus transform the Exuma in a floating island by filling each float with water, lowering the platform close to the lake surface. You feel like you’re floating directly on water… Of course, even when the ballasts are filled the Exuma floats.

The Exuma’s platform has two layers and the lower sections can slide out increasing the surface by 50%. The guard rails can slide down to form a ‘flush fit’ with the platform. This allows guests to easily dive in the lake and also climb back onboard since the guard rails also serve as ladders when they are down.

The designer

I would like to thank Brian Ross Miller, who created the images of the Exuma. Brian is a freelance product designer based in Denver, Colorado. Brian also created the renderings of the Gotoo compact subway car.